Don't have an ID?

Print subscribers

Non-subscribers

Golden Eagles celebrate special hoop season

Posted
Friday, April 19, 2019 12:31 pm

Family members, ardent supporters and Tennessee Tech Athletics staff joined the Golden Eagle women’s basketball team Thursday to celebrate its exciting, revitalizing 2018-19 season, and reflect on the numerous accomplishments therein.

Following a high-energy introduction of each team member, an invocation from senior forward Lacy Cantrell and a season recap from head coach Kim Rosamond, the event moved to its highly-anticipated awards presentation segment.

Sophomore guard Megan Clark claimed the first award of the evening, the Community Service Award, which is given to the Golden Eagle who accumulates the most community service hours over the course of the year. Clark, a Tampa native, logged more than 50 hours as a volunteer to earn her title.

The second honor, the Most Outstanding Scholar Athlete, went to sophomore guard Abby Buckner, who owns the highest cumulative grade point average on the team, 3.73, while in pursuit of her degree in pre-occupational therapy.

Buckner would then come right back up to the podium to accept the Ed and Wanda Jared Family Athletics Endowment, an award voted on by the players to recognize an individual for her outstanding leadership qualities.

The John P. Hendrix Leadership Award was conferred upon senior guard Kentoria Alexander. A second-year transfer from Walters State Community College, Alexander was chosen as the recipient by the coaching staff because of her exceptional leadership.

After averaging 13.5 minutes, 1.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in her first season at TTU, the Tullahoma native exploded for marks of 30.2 minutes, 9.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.1 helpers per contest this year.

The S.O.A.R. Award, a new addition to the list of accolades at this year’s celebration, was given to redshirt junior forward Anacia Wilkinson. The honor goes to the player who most accurately personifies the four elements of the team’s S.O.A.R. mentality – Serving others, Owning it, Acquiring knowledge and Responding positively – and reflects the culture of the team in everything she does.

To close out the awards portion, Lacy Cantrell was selected for the prestigious Frank Porter Athletic Award, the top honor within the Tennessee Tech women’s basketball program. Honoring longtime Tech women’s hoops patron Frank Porter, the accolade was bestowed upon Cantrell for her contributions to the program, the university and the community, as well as her academic achievements, sportsmanlike conduct and poise on and off the court.

Cantrell was presented with a commemorative Revere glass bowl at the banquet, and, along with Buckner, will have her name engraved on a plaque in the Eblen Center for her respective distinction.

Following the awards portion, TTU Director of Athletics Mark Wilson concluded the event with a final salute to the team’s body of work.